1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of playing a wagering game utilizing standard rules and preferably a standard deck(s) of playing cards. More specifically, the method of the present invention is an enhancement to the game of poker which enables the potential for the contemporaneous play of at least two strategically different poker games at the same time.
2. Background of the Art
Many different wagering games presently exist for use in both home and casino environments. Such games should necessarily be exciting, uncomplicated and easy to learn so as to avoid frustrating the players. Card games such as poker and Twenty-One have gained widespread popularity because of their established ranking of hands and well known rules. Furthermore, each of these games usually involve continuous wagering opportunities for the players thus increasing player participation and excitement. Lastly, the games move fairly quickly to maintain action and activity. All of these factors have created games which are widely accepted and widely known.
Wagering games have been described in many previous publications such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,105 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,077. Both of these patents outline the addition of a progressive jackpot component to a Twenty-One game wherein wagers are received for participation in this jackpot component and these wagers are accumulated over a period of time to create a large jackpot. Following completion of a hand, the players may win a jackpot payout based on the final hand received by the player.
Variations in wagering structures can also increase the excitement and acceptance of such wagering games. U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,430 discloses a poker game with an altered wagering scheme thus allowing the player the opportunity to compete for an additional prize or payout.
Other variations can be made to standard games to allow more player opportunity and involvement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,107 discloses a game wherein additional symbols are added to increase wagering opportunities. This allows the player the opportunity to place several wagers on different portions of the game while the game is being played. Somewhat similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,757 discloses a board game wherein the player is given choices regarding alternative strategies for play. Naturally the different strategies chosen have different payoff results. Unfortunately, this game is somewhat complicated and requires a considerable amount of time for the players to learn.
In the play of a Twenty-One game, there are many well understood strategies for players to follow. One publication outlining these strategies is Jerry L. Patterson and Eddie Olsen xe2x80x9cBreak the Dealerxe2x80x9d, 1986, Putnam Publishing Group. Generally, this strategy involves the player surveying their dealt cards, the dealer""s displayed card, and making appropriate decisions based thereon. For example, if a player has a card total of eleven (11), the player should take a hit regardless of the dealer""s displayed card. If, however, the player has a card total of twelve (12), the player should then consider the dealer""s displayed card. A hit should be taken if the dealer""s displayed card is a 2, 3, 7-10 or Ace. Other cards displayed by the dealer will suggest much different decisions by the player.
Some twenty-one tables offer a side bet game called xe2x80x9cOver-Underxe2x80x9d or some variation thereof. In addition to the normal markings on the table which are desirable for play of twenty-one (designated spaces for cards, designated spaces for bets, etc.), tables where Over-Under are played also have two additional designated areas for bets. Usually the designated areas for the additional side bet is in the form of circles. Each circle identifies a specific bet, either xe2x80x9cOver Thirteenxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cUnder Thirteen.xe2x80x9d Before the turn of the first card in each hand of twenty-one, each player may place a bet as to whether the first two cards will total xe2x80x9cOver Thirteenxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cUnder Thirteenxe2x80x9d by placing a bet in the appropriate circle. An amount of money equal to or less than the basic twenty-one wager may be placed in either circle. After the deal of the first two cards to each player, but before conclusion of the hand, wagers made on the side bet game of Over-Under have their wagers paid off or captured by the house. If the bet was Over Thirteen and the total of the cards was over thirteen, the house would pay equal odds on the wager. If the total count of the first two cards was thirteen or under, the house would capture the bet. Ties in this game (any total of thirteen) always allows the house to capture the bet. This side game has attained some level of acceptance and popularity, but payouts are limited to one-to-one ratios, with no special awards or multiplication of bets available to increase the excitement of the game. The play of the Over-Under game cannot possibly affect decisions to be made in the play of the Twenty-One game as the Over-Under game is completed when the first two cards are dealt. Play of the Twenty-One game cannot either influence the play of the Over-Under game or vice versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,730 describes a side bet game that may be included with the play of a game of Twenty-One. A player makes a side bet that certain predetermined arrangements of cards or events will occur, with the player receiving special bonuses or jackpots when those events occur. For example, the player""s side bet wager may cover such predetermined arrangements of cards or events such as any pair, any pair of the same suit, cards of the same suit, pairs of 2""s, pairs of 3""s, straights, flushes, runs of 2""s and 3""s as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,730 and the like. An important consideration in the design of the side bet game to be played in combination with the play of a game of Twenty-One is to have the play of the side bet game irrelevant to the play of a game of Twenty-One. For example, if a jackpot is won when a player obtains six consecutive deuces, every player with a knowledge of the probabilities in the play of Twenty-One would be likely to continue taking hits on a count of 10 with five straight deuces, whether or not the side bet was in play with the game of Twenty-One. The game is specifically designed so that the player will not be required to choose a playing strategy that is inconsistent with the generally accepted strategy of the base game.
Many variations in the play of poker-type games have also been introduced to increase the excitement and interest in the play of both table and video versions of poker. For example, in a video version of draw poker, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,356,140 and 5,531,440 teach that after an initial wager, two distinct hands may be dealt, and the player may select between the two hands for continued play of the game. Only a single hand may be played.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,915 describes a video poker gaming apparatus in which multiple hands are displayed on a screen and each of the hands is partially revealed (e.g., 1 or more cards, but less than all cards are displayed). The player then elects which one of the multiple displayed hands is to be played, and the draw poker game or stud poker game for that one hand proceeds to a resolution. Again, only a single hand of poker is player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,041 describes Pai Gow Poker with an auxiliary game. In the ordinary play of Pai Gow Poker, seven cards are dealt to a player, and the player divides the hand into a five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. Each of the hands made by a player must beat equivalently created hands (five and two-card hands) dealt to the dealer. In addition to the normal play of Pai Gow Poker, a player has the option of placing a bonus bet. The bonus bet encompasses the attainment of hands of a predetermined rank and the award of bonuses for attaining those hands after the bonus bet.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,265,882; 5,395,120 and 5,702,104 teach a casino table card game apparatus and play in which each player""s position is provided with three distinct card playing areas or lines. Cards are dealt to a player so that each player may play at least two distinct card games (e.g., from among Twenty-One, modified Draw Poker, and Baccarat). A player makes a first bet in at least two of the different player positions, and cards are dealt to each of those player positions. Different games are played with each separate set of hands, and the play of one game does not directly influence or affect the play of any other game.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,092 describes a method of playing a casino table game having multiple casino games. Each player position is provided with distinct playing positions for the different games (such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker and jackpot).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,494,295 and 5,697,614 describe a casino table card game and apparatus in which a player may select any number of predetermined hand ranking rules to apply to the play of a hand. A player is dealt an initial, partial hand, and the player then elects from that initial hand which set(s) of predetermined hand ranking rules apply to the hand. In a preferred game, the dealer receives two separate bank hands, one that utilizes the hand ranks of standard poker and one that utilizes the hand ranks of low-ball poker. Once each player has received four of his five cards, each player decides which of the dealer""s two hands to play against, with the option of playing against both (as in selecting both ways in a Hi-Low poker game). Then each player receives their fifth, and last, card. At this point, the xe2x80x9cbankxe2x80x9d hands are exposed and each player""s hand is compared to the specific xe2x80x9cbankxe2x80x9d hand, or hands, that they played against, winners are determined, and wagers are settled. The election of playing against a high rank hand, low rank hand or both ways, does not alter the strategy or selection of cards, as only the hand dealt to the player is utilized, without any replacement of cards coincident with play strategy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,781 describes a method and apparatus for playing a poker-type card game. A number of different stud poker hands are dealt on a playing surface and players wager as to which will have the highest stud poker ranking. Game options include choosing the hand with the lowest rank instead of the highest rank. As each hand is fixed and there are no replacement cards, there can be no play of one hand that is influenced by the play of another hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,993 teaches a form of Twenty-One in which the player""s hand and the dealer""s hand may be combined after play of the Twenty-One game to try to achieve a predetermined poker hand rank. As the play of the underlying game of Twenty-One is completed before the poker game is initiated, the play of the poker game cannot influence the play of Twenty-One or vice-versa. U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,082 describes a method of playing double hand Marquez, a game in which multiple hand versions of Twenty-One are played with individual players being dealt five cards, the five cards being divided into a two-card front hand and a three-card back hand. The cards in the front hand and the back hand are arranged to make each hand as close to twenty-one as possible, without going over, while at the same time maximizing the value of the front hand with respect to the back hand so that the value of the front hand has a value closer to twenty-one, without exceeding twenty-one. The front hand of the bank player is compared to the front hand of the player and the back hand of the bank player is compared with the back hand of the player, respectively, to determine if the player wins or loses the hand. The play of the cards is intended to be automatic, with no skill involved, and the play of one hand should not interfere with the play of the other hand.
In summary, it is desired to find a game that is easy to play and also fast moving. When the player is provided with a considerable amount of participation, and additional winnings based on card combinations not related to the base game, these games become much more strategic and enjoyable. Furthermore, a game is more exciting if a player feels anticipation and excitement from a number of different sources throughout the game.
In the play of a hand of poker (either as a casino table card game or a video gaming apparatus or computer game), a partial hand is provided to a player after an initial wager. The actual hand of poker involves the potential for at least two distinct games of poker being playable from that partial hand. The player may then elect to play one or more of the potential games from the at least two distinct games of poker playable with that partial hand. The nature of the at least two distinct games is that at least two of the games which may be played from the partial hand require decisions to be made where a decision with a selection of play strategy in one poker game that is intended to have a positive outcome is likely to have a negative effect or comprises an adverse strategy in the play of the second game. Various pay tables are provided that differ from each other, with respect to each or one single game, depending upon whether the player elects to play a single game with the partial poker hand or elects to play at least two games with continued play of the partial poker hand.